


scholar's mate

by punkrockbadger



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Nerds Play Chess, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-14
Updated: 2015-01-14
Packaged: 2018-03-07 14:04:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3175570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkrockbadger/pseuds/punkrockbadger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lily Evans has never lost a bet in her life, and it might finally be time to put her money on James Potter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	scholar's mate

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposting Jily drabbles from my tumblr (punkrockbadger), so my AO3 only audience doesn't miss out.

"You keep telling me there’s a lot to learn about each other, so here’s a thought." James brushes off his old chessboard before setting it down on the coffee table. It thumps against the wood and Lily raises an eyebrow, carefully looking it over. "So, play me."

"I’m hoping you’ve gotten better since last time." James is, and always has been, notoriously horrible at chess. The last time she’d indulged him, she’d trounced him solidly in twenty minutes. Thrice. "Or I might actually have time for a nap."

"One catch. A secret for a move." James grins. "And it’s got to be something I don’t know."

"I’m going to need a binding oath from you, then." She smirks and he shrugs, nodding slowly. "You love worming your way out of your own rules."

"I wouldn’t use  _worming_  to describe my, uh, talents at semantic manipulation, but sure.” James sets up the pieces, all of them worn and missing chunks, and she wonders how many hands have played with these pieces, moving them to their will. “You want white?”

"Sure, why not?" She shrugs, turning the board around. Having the advantage makes it a bit of a joke, but James likes jokes. Hopefully he’ll enjoy this one. She moves a pawn ahead one space. "Airplanes have always fascinated me."

"I like raisins in cereal." He says, sliding a pawn forward to block its path, and she shrugs. 

"Arithmancy is horridly boring— I just take it because it reminds me of maths, you know? Or, I guess you wouldn’t, really…" Lily moves her bishop out into the middle of the fray, smiling as James’ eyes light up. He thinks he has her. If everything goes her way, which it usually does, she’ll have him in two moves. Of course, with James, there’s never a sure bet.

"I went to muggle primary school, so I do know, actually. Nice to have something constant." James says, frowning slightly as he looks over the board. He moves his queen’s side knight out in front of the pawns.

Lily moves her queen out to the right edge of the board, smiling as James groans in frustration. “I’m actually allergic to lilies.”

"Hat considered me for Hufflepuff and I told it to stuff it ‘cause Sirius was already in Gryffindor." James, seeing an opportunity, moves his king’s side knight out.

"I thought I might make Ravenclaw, but you can see how well that turned out, now." Lily smiles, the huntress instead of the hunted for once, and moves her queen right up to his king. “Checkmate.”

"Again?" James groans, hiding his face in his hands, and she laughs.

"If you’re planning on sticking with me, get ready for a lifetime of losing, Potter." She reaches across the board to ruffle his hair. 

"How am I supposed to look forward to that?!"


End file.
